February 19, 2008

I Ate My Weight in Asparagus

It all started with a note left on our door last Thursday. A bright yellow 3x3 Post-It at eye-level on the carport door greeted me when I arrived home: "Would you like some fresh asparagus?"

I perked. Why yes, yes I would love some fresh asparagus! I did a little happy dance right there in the carport. Our benefactor arrived with the bounty, at least as excited as I was. I perked again. She gently handed over a large bundle; the stalks firm and fresh and thin, just the way we like them. She had found a great sale and purchased a ton (her unit of measure). I understood the impulse.

My mind immediately began listing things to make with that asparagus. Shall I just steam them? I pondered. Asparagus quiche is delicious. How about a bisque, a la that zucchini soup Wendy adored? Or maybe an asparagus and feta frittata for Sunday brunch! Or my grandmother's asparagus and cheddar casserole.... oh nom nom nom!

Friday afternoon I tripped down to Sam's Club to stock up on a few staples. I pushed my cart past the produce section and lo! There I came upon large quantities of asparagus bundled into humongous Sam's Club-sized portions! Oh yes, they were as lovely and fresh and thin as the stalks our neighbor had gifted us! And cheap! Resistance was futile and a mega-bundle soon topped my cart, my culinary imagination joyously on overload.

It became our asparagus challenge. Fortunately I had hungry stomachs to help me out. It took company over the three-day weekend and leftovers for dinner tonight, but every stalk has been devoured.

Asparagus.
It's the reason for the season.

.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

LOVE the stuff. Even though it does strange things to my pee. Ha!

In fact, I used some last night in a crab/asparagus pasta dish that was absolutely to die for.

Rita said...

Wow...for a minute there I thought I was reading a blog about Iron Chef! Nothing beats fresh asparagus!

Anonymous said...

Grilled with a little bit of olive oil and sea salt and lighly dressed with bearnaise sauce ... yum, ... then of course, you have to have a big juicy steak!

Middle Girl said...

Believe it or now I am just begninning to appreciate the joy that is asparagus.

Yum.

Jesse said...

I ate so much asparagus last night!! I love the stuff :)

agoodlistener said...

OK now I'm hungry. Wonder if Sams Club is still open.

tiff said...

Freash asparagus is wirht the stinky pee thing, as long as EVERYBODY eats it.

The asparagus, not the pee.

YUM!

Anonymous said...

My mom just came by two days ago with two huge bunches for our enjoyment, too.

Frittata is on the menu here soon, and oh, the dogs love it as well. Who knew?!

Eyes

Sapphique said...

Yum...I'm getting excited about the 5 feet of snow we have on the ground melting, and revealing the wonder that is our very own asparagus bed! It's the third year, so we should get a bumper crop. Jennifer, crab/asparagus pasta? Sounds fabulous. ::: getting hungry and running off to the kitchen to gnaw on something tasty:::::

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.